Introducing Betty White

[daftcat75]

Second poop in ten hours. Maybe she was constipated? Maybe that’s the hairball? Since I usually retch before I can pick through a poop through a plastic baggie, I decided instead to sacrifice an old washed out gelato container with some water and the poop and try a homemade centrifuge. Well, I just got poopy water I couldn’t see through and the solid bits of mostly litter at the bottom. I think there was some hair. But not a whole lot. Then again, I don’t really know what a hairy poop should look like. I’m assuming it shouldn’t look like a hairball or we would have already seen posts on TCS about “my cat is pooping hairballs!”

Anyway. We had some tense loafing and a fair amount of water drinking which always makes me nervous in large volumes.

But she finally made it into the poof and hopefully the meds will kick in before any more loafing (or worse!) tonight.

 

[daftcat75]

 

[daftcat75]

I hate what hairball days to her. But gosh! It’s so easy to feed her on hairball nights. I can put down a plate of food anywhere and she eats it start to finish without any carpet or paw nonsense. Makes me wonder if I should be feeding her so often or if I should simply put out a large breakfast and let her get hungry over the day to empty that hairball from her stomach and then plow into evening portions with a hungry empty stomach. Then again, she could get the acid barfs if I try to fast her now that she’s used to the schedule. I dunno. Let’s get through the night and see how tomorrow’s eating goes as her sausage (her digestive tube from gut to butt) begins to fill again. It seems to me that all of this is her inability to move that food fast enough to balance sufficient input with transit times and (hopefully one-way) output.

 

[artiemom]

When I see a lighter colored area in Geoffrey's poop, I take for granted it is a clump of fur. At least, that is how "I" interpret it.
He had one the other day. I did pull apart that area. It was fur. Geoffrey must have gotten into his brush, which I did not clean out after brushing him. It was a clump fur.

 

[Furballsmom]

Poppycat has dark fur, so unless I see telltale stringy fur sticking out of the end of his poop, I can't really see it.

 

[daftcat75]

First breakfast already in the books. Last night was a 1:3 ratio. This morning is 1:2 AD to ID. She may still need an AD portion tonight for easy calories. Last night she got a bonus portion at 4am. I meant that to be sooner but fell back to sleep waiting for not yet to become yet. She finished the day at 140 calories or about a meal and a half behind. She is projected to finish around 185 calories today. That’s good enough for where she’s at. But 190 is the goal to get her up to 9.5 lbs. I think that’s where I’d like her.

 

[tarasgirl06]

First breakfast already in the books. Last night was a 1:3 ratio. This morning is 1:2 AD to ID. She may still need an AD portion tonight for easy calories. Last night she got a bonus portion at 4am. I meant that to be sooner but fell back to sleep waiting for not yet to become yet. She finished the day at 140 calories or about a meal and a half behind. She is projected to finish around 185 calories today. That’s good enough for where she’s at. But 190 is the goal to get her up to 9.5 lbs. I think that’s where I’d like her.

A triple-header! in the mew department! What a pretty little voice you have, beautiful Betty!
You might try tapering the number of meals one at a time? to see how she reacts. It is good for all of us, or so I hear, to have small meals throughout the day rather than one or two big meals. But cats in the wild have no pattern to their number of meals or times of eating as it's all related to how many times they catch prey and whether or not the prey will be available to them at different times of the day or night (because someone else has not stolen it). Cats, like us, are individuals, though, and it is a challenge to find their sweet spot in terms of what each of them prefers. I'd like to feed 3 5.5oz cans per day between Baby Su and Elvis, but they are down to 2 a day, and they don't always finish all of that. They do have the Blue Buffalo "mature cat" kronschiez free-choice, which they love.

 

[daftcat75]

A triple-header! in the mew department! What a pretty little voice you have, beautiful Betty!
You might try tapering the number of meals one at a time? to see how she reacts. It is good for all of us, or so I hear, to have small meals throughout the day rather than one or two big meals. But cats in the wild have no pattern to their number of meals or times of eating as it's all related to how many times they catch prey and whether or not the prey will be available to them at different times of the day or night (because someone else has not stolen it). Cats, like us, are individuals, though, and it is a challenge to find their sweet spot in terms of what each of them prefers. I'd like to feed 3 5.5oz cans per day between Baby Su and Elvis, but they are down to 2 a day, and they don't always finish all of that. They do have the Blue Buffalo "mature cat" kronschiez free-choice, which they love.

You haven't heard the Betty alarm that goes off at feeding time and does not stop until a plate is in her face. That doesn't mean she'll eat from that plate, though. "Where's your snooze button, Betty?"

I still see her with reflux burps and lip licking now and again. I wonder if the famotidine is going to do more harm than good over the long term. But we saw last week what happens when she doesn't get it. Three more weeks until the specialist appointment. I don't want to make matters any worse before then. It has been my hope that she would improve before the specialist appointment and make further diagnostics unnecessary. It doesn't look like that will be the case. However, healing doesn't happen in a straight line and even on a treatment plan, it's reasonable to expect another incident or three until her ship is righted.

We got about a week and a half between incidents (not counting last week's missed meds and acid spit up.) I think we had almost two weeks before that. Since I didn't see hair in yesterday's spit ups and I don't recall seeing an actual hairball the time before, it seems like maybe we're getting past the hairballs. But perhaps there's something still going on (e.g. the original reason the hair was getting caught up in the first place?)

 

[tarasgirl06]

You haven't heard the Betty alarm that goes off at feeding time and does not stop until a plate is in her face. That doesn't mean she'll eat from that plate, though. "Where's your snooze button, Betty?"

I still see her with reflux burps and lip licking now and again. I wonder if the famotidine is going to do more harm than good over the long term. But we saw last week what happens when she doesn't get it. Three more weeks until the specialist appointment. I don't want to make matters any worse before then. It has been my hope that she would improve before the specialist appointment and make further diagnostics unnecessary. It doesn't look like that will be the case. However, healing doesn't happen in a straight line and even on a treatment plan, it's reasonable to expect another incident or three until her ship is righted.

We got about a week and a half between incidents (not counting last week's missed meds and acid spit up.) I think we had almost two weeks before that. Since I didn't see hair in yesterday's spit ups and I don't recall seeing an actual hairball the time before, it seems like maybe we're getting past the hairballs. But perhaps there's something still going on (e.g. the original reason the hair was getting caught up in the first place?)

"... However, healing doesn't happen in a straight line and even on a treatment plan, it's reasonable to expect another incident or three until her ship is righted." True.

 

[daftcat75]

I guess because she put away the last of first breakfast earlier, when she woke from her morning nap, she wanted afternoon meal already. I had my morning call to get through with Betty contributing every chance she could. I don’t know if my microphone was picking her up. But after two years of this, we’re all used to hearing kids and cats and cars and anything else in our coworkers’ backgrounds.

So I get through the call and now Betty is really demanding afternoon food. She even started up the Katris to meet me on the counter. I guess she truly was hungry. I set the plate down for her and she ate half already. No carpet or paw nonsense. Pace yourself Betty. That has to last all afternoon. And it needs to stay down today.

She demanded post meal cuddles. I set an alarm and gave in. I am cheating her right now. Time to reset that alarm and really give her the cuddle time she demanded.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I guess because she put away the last of first breakfast earlier, when she woke from her morning nap, she wanted afternoon meal already. I had my morning call to get through with Betty contributing every chance she could. I don’t know if my microphone was picking her up. But after two years of this, we’re all used to hearing kids and cats and cars and anything else in our coworkers’ backgrounds.

So I get through the call and now Betty is really demanding afternoon food. She even started up the Katris to meet me on the counter. I guess she truly was hungry. I set the plate down for her and she ate half already. No carpet or paw nonsense. Pace yourself Betty. That has to last all afternoon. And it needs to stay down today.

She demanded post meal cuddles. I set an alarm and gave in. I am cheating her right now. Time to reset that alarm and really give her the cuddle time she demanded.

I'm pretty sure you could put on the cat filter for those calls. If you wanted to. It might startle Betty, though.
Rooting for Betty to keep her lunch! and to get extra cuddles. Those benefit everyone!

 

[daftcat75]

Daytime portions already in the books and it was only 2 pm when she cleaned the plate. Obviously she's angling for a tweener. Maybe a half portion around 4. She could use the extra calories so I don't have to rely on a scoop of the pure A/D.

She had a hairy poop. I scooped her poops to the toilet and then donned a pair of gloves to pick through them.

She had poop zooms!

And we had a pets and bunts session.

I imagine she's napping in the sun right now. That's where I would be if I didn't have to work.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Daytime portions already in the books and it was only 2 pm when she cleaned the plate. Obviously she's angling for a tweener. Maybe a half portion around 4. She could use the extra calories so I don't have to rely on a scoop of the pure A/D.

She had a hairy poop. I scooped her poops to the toilet and then donned a pair of gloves to pick through them.

She had poop zooms!

And we had a pets and bunts session.

I imagine she's napping in the sun right now. That's where I would be if I didn't have to work.

Good UPdate! Looking forward to that cuddling session for you both!

 

[daftcat75]

She did not come see for an afternoon tweener. I'm not going to push the matter. I think having several hours between meals is good for her. I already collapsed her day meals into breakfast and afternoon, down from two breakfasts. I think we both feel better not shoveling food in her every chance we get.

She's too late for a tweener. Dinner is in an hour. Which means she will show up in ten minutes and beg for the next hour.

 

[tarasgirl06]

She did not come see for an afternoon tweener. I'm not going to push the matter. I think having several hours between meals is good for her. I already collapsed her day meals into breakfast and afternoon, down from two breakfasts. I think we both feel better not shoveling food in her every chance we get.

She's too late for a tweener. Dinner is in an hour. Which means she will show up in ten minutes and beg for the next hour.

Nothing wrong with that. Hopefully she'll be nice and hungry by then, eat well, and digest well.

 

[daftcat75]

She was hungry enough to eat most of first dinner in one go.

Pill taken. Wet willy administered.

Burp and groom and sleep it off.

 

[daftcat75]

Maybe not a baseball fan. But a fan of my lap. Took her long enough.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Maybe not a baseball fan. But a fan of my lap. Took her long enough.
View attachment 420077

Does it get better than that?

 

[daftcat75]

Does it get better than that?

Certainly makes nights and mornings quieter when she can help herself to some loving. Instead of a Betty alarm sounding from the floor, I get chirping Betty in my lap.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Certainly makes nights and mornings quieter when she can help herself to some loving. Instead of a Betty alarm sounding from the floor, I get chirping Betty in my lap.

*LOVING the chirps and the chirpy Betty!*